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Mon, 23 November 2020
Biden unveils security and foreign policy team
Timeline Refresh
23:39 Wisconsin presidential recount in 4th day, with few changes
Wisconsin's partial presidential recount entered its fourth day Monday, with very few changes in vote totals as US President Donald Trump's attorneys appeared to be focused on a legal challenge seeking to toss tens of thousands of ballots, including the one cast by an attorney for the campaign.
Democrat Joe Biden won the state by about 20,600 votes and his margin in Milwaukee and Dane counties was about 2-to-1. Those are the only counties where Trump paid to have a recount.
Trump's attorneys have objected to counting any absentee ballots where voters identified themselves as "indefinitely confined;" where information on the certification envelope is in two different ink colours, indicating a poll worker may have helped complete it; and where there is not a separate written record for it having been requested, including all in-person absentee ballots.
All of those ballots were being counted during the recount, but could be targeted as part of a Trump legal challenge.
23:02 Biden unveils security and foreign policy team
Joe Biden's transition team has announced several key nominations and appointments for his national security and foreign policy team.
>> Antony Blinken, a former deputy secretary of state, will be nominated to serve as secretary of state, as previously reported.
>> Alejandro Mayorkas, a former deputy secretary of the the department of homeland security, will be nominated to serve as DHS secretary. If confirmed, Mayorkas will be the first Latino and immigrant to serve as DHS secretary.
>> Linda Thomas-Greenfield, a former US ambassador, will be nominated as ambassador to the UN.
>> John Kerry, the former secretary of state, will serve as a special presidential envoy for climate and will sit on the national security council.
>> Avril Haines, a former deputy CIA director, will be nominated to serve as the director of national intelligence. If confirmed, she will be the first woman to lead the US intelligence community.
>> Jake Sullivan, a longtime Biden adviser, will serve as national security adviser.
22:40 ITBP equips jawans with special clothing, mountaineering equipment
As the mercury at the Line of Actual Control dropped to minus 15 degree Celsius, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police has equipped its jawans with special clothing and mountaineering equipment, said SS Deswal, Director General of ITBP on Monday.
DG Deswal said that all arrangements for the tough winter season have been made in the border areas, and jawans have been equipped with proper uniforms and ration for winter.
"These days, the temperature in Leh is around minus four degrees Celsius, and it is around minus 15 degrees Celsius at the border. Our jawans are equipped with SCME to bear such harsh weather," he said.
When asked about the situation on Line of Actual Control, DG said the "Indian security forces are guarding the borders at best of their capabilities."
"The doctors and paramedical staff also available there to look after the Jawans, and in case of any emergency, there is also the facility to airlift them to Leh for treatment," he stated further.
Giving an update about ITBP's plan to increase border outposts on all country borders, DG said, "We have identified the locations for new BOPs, and we are in the process of acquiring land from state governments. And hope to establish all new BOP by next year-end. Dozens of BOPs will be ready in Arunachal Pradesh."
-- ANI
22:18 EAM Jaishankar to begin 6-day tour of Bahrain, UAE and Seychelles from Tuesday
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will embark on a six-day tour of Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Seychelles beginning Tuesday, in a visit seen as important as it comes in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Ministry of External Affairs said Jaishankar's first destination will be Bahrain from where he will travel to the United Arab Emirates. He will travel to Seychelles in the third and final leg of his visit.
In his two-day visit to Bahrain from November 24 to 25, Jaishankar will personally convey condolences on behalf of the government and people of India to the Bahraini leadership on the sad demise of Prime Minister of Bahrain Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa on November 11, the MEA said.
The external affairs minister will also hold talks on bilateral issues as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest with Bahraini leaders.
"Bahrain hosts more than 350,000 Indians and both countries have worked together to face the COVID-19 pandemic. Flights are operational between both countries under an air bubble arrangement," it said in a statement.
On November 25 and 26, Jaishankar will visit the UAE where he is scheduled to meet his counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
"Both leaders will take forward the excellent cooperation between India and the UAE under our comprehensive strategic partnership and exchange views on various regional and international issues," the MEA said.
Jaishankar will also discuss ways for Indian workers to resume their jobs in UAE in the post-COVID scenario. More than 3 million Indians live and work in the UAE.
India and UAE have maintained high-level contacts in the last few months. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in the midst of the pandemic.
Jaishankar has also spoken to the UAE foreign minister several times in the past few months.
In the last leg of his tour, the external affairs minister will travel to Seychelles on November 27 and 28.
In Seychelles, Jaishankar will call-on the newly elected President, Wavel Ramkalawan, to present greetings of Prime Minister Modi and will discuss with him the priorities of the new government and avenues for further strengthening of bilateral relations, the MEA said.
Jaishankar will also hold bilateral consultations with the newly appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism Sylvestre Radegonde, it said.
-- PTI
21:56 100 mn doses by January, says Adar Poonawalla
A minimum of 100 million doses of Covishield - a coronavirus vaccine that this morning was said to be 90 per cent effective under certain conditions - will be available by January and hundreds of million could be ready by the end of February, Adar Poonawalla of the Serum Institute of India told NDTV on Monday evening.
A single dose (two are recommended at this stage) will cost up to Rs 1,000 if purchased from the pharmacy, but the government will buy 90 per cent of the supply at Rs 250 per dose, he explained.
Poonawalla, whose company has an agreement with the government to mass-manufacture the vaccine, said around 40 million doses had already been produced.
"It will be another two-three months for the vaccine to be available in India. By January we will have 100 million doses, minimum. The target set by the government is 300 to 400 million doses by July. We are putting a MRP of Rs 1,000 -- for the private market it will be around Rs 500 or 600 (Rs 200 for the distributor) and Rs 250 or less for the government," Poonawalla said.
He also said the 10 per cent expected to be released to the private market is unlikely to be available before March, making vaccine distribution the preserve of the government till then. The delay, he said, would be because of time needed to complete licensing formalities.
Last week Poonawalla, who said the Serum Institute was concentrating on production for India, said it could take till 2024 for every Indian to get inoculated.
21:38 Mumbai adds 800 COVID-19 patients; active cases top 10,000
Mumbai reported 800 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, a drop from more than 1,000 daily infections recorded over the last three days, while 14 more patients died due to the infection, the city civic body said.
The financial capital had reported over 1,000 cases on each day between November 20and 22.
According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's updated data, the COVID-19 tally increased to 2,76,507 with 800 new cases, while the death toll rose to 10,687 with the addition of 14 fresh fatalities.
After registering 409 cases on November 16, the lowest daily count in several months, the number of single-day infections in the city surged from the next day.
Mumbai witnessed 1,031, 1,092 and 1,135 new cases on November 20, 21 and 22, respectively.
The city has conducted 17.85 lakh COVID-19 tests since February 3.
-- PTI
21:10 Tarun Gogoi's cremation on Thursday
The mortal remains of former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi will be cremated on Thursday in Guwahati, state Congress chief Ripun Bora said.
Briefing the press at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital where Gogoi breathed last on Monday, Bora said the body will be taken to his official residence at Dispur from the hospital on Tuesday morning.
"The doctors will complete necessary medical formalities in the night to prepare the body for keeping it safe for three days," said Bora, a Rajya Sabha MP.
After that, Gogoi's body will be taken to state secretariat Janata Bhawan where he sat for 15 years as the chief minister, and then to state Congress headquarters Rajiv Bhawan around 3.30 pm.
-- PTI
20:46 Facebook will give presidential accounts to Biden even if Trump refuses to concede
Facebook has followed Twitter in confirming that the presidential accounts on their respective platforms will be transferred from US President Donald Trump to president-elect Joe Biden on January 20.
"In 2017, we worked with both the Obama Administration and incoming Trump Administration to make sure the transition of their Facebook and Instagram accounts was seamless on January 20th, and we expect to do the same here," Facebook said.
The official presidential accounts include @POTUS, as well as @whitehouse, @VP, @FLOTUS, and a number of other official accounts are taxpayer funded. This is in contrast to the presidents personal account, @DonaldTrump, and his corresponding personal Twitter account @realDonaldTrump.
During the election, posts from the US presidents personal pages were the most popular posts on Facebook despite the social media company adding warning labels to the posts.
Facebook will also fact-check Trumps posts when he leaves office; the social media company has staunchly said that it does not check political accounts for accuracy despite their potential to spread misinformation.
20:22 PM Modi led 'Trends' across social media in Aug-Oct: Report
Prime Minister Narendra Modi continues to be the most popular politician on the social media in the country as he led the highest number of trends on platforms like Twitter, Google Search and YouTube during August to October period, according to a report by Checkbrand.
Checkbrand, an online sentiment analysis company, analysed online sentiment for top 95 political leaders as well as top 500 influencers on social media between August and October this year. It analysed more than 100 million online impressions for the maiden edition of the report.
"Prime Minister Modi has ruled the maximum Trends (Twitter, Google Search, Wiki, YouTube etc) in the last quarter with 2,171 trends, followed by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jaganmohan Reddy with 2,137 trends," the report said.
Other leaders who led significant trends include West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Congress President Sonia Gandhi, it added.
For the report, 86,400 'Trends' -- which refers to the top 20 topics driving highest engagement in a day on various digital platforms -- were analysed.
As per the report, Modi had a consolidated brand score of 70, which is almost double that of the nearest political leader.
-- PTI
20:07 3-day state mourning in Assam for Gogoi's death
The Assam government on Monday announced a three-day state mourning in the honour of former chief minister Tarun Gogoi who died while undergoing treatment for post-COVID-19 complications.
The ruling BJP and opposition Congress also cancelled all party functions, including the ongoing campaign for the Bodoland Territorial Council elections, for the next three days as a mark of respect for the three-time chief minister.
"Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal announced that the State government would observe three-day State mourning in honour of the former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi who breathed his last this evening," an official statement said.
Sonowal also paid his last respect to the mortal remains of the veteran Congress leader at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital.
-- PTI
19:42 Karnataka not to reopen schools in December
The Karnataka government on Monday decided not to reopen schools and pre-university colleges in December due to the prevailing COVID-19 situation.
A high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa in this regard decided to meet again by the third week of December to discuss the future course of action, on the the recommendation from experts and the health department.
"All education experts, health department and experts have opined that a discussion about opening schools and pre-university colleges should be held by December end.. this is not the time as COVID cases may rise and may affect the students," Yediyurappa said.
The schools have remained closed since March when the national lockdown was first enforced to combat COVID-19.
-- PTI
19:20 ITBP to increase 1,000 beds at Sardar Patel COVID Care Centre
In view of rising COVID-19 cases in Delhi and national capital region, Indo-Tibetan Border Police is expanding the capacity of COVID-19 beds at Sardar Patel COVID Care Centre and Hospital at Radha Soami Satsang Beas in Chhatarpur from 2,000 to 3,000, said SS Deswal, Director General (DG), ITBP on Monday.
Deswal said the new beds will be equipped with a proper supply of medical oxygen and negated the rumours about the shortage of medical oxygen at the COVID-19 facility.
"Till now the operational capacity of the COVID centre was 2,000, which we are expanding till 3,000 beds so that all the patients in the Delhi-NCR are treated properly. The added beds will also have medical oxygen supply available on them. We have no shortage of medical oxygen," said the DG.
He further informed that after Union Home Minister Amit Shah's orders, the capacity of doctors and medical staff has also been increased in the COVID-19 centre, and now there is enough medical staff to look after as many as 3,000 patients.
-- ANI
19:02 Tarun Gogoi's demise marks end of an era: Prez
President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday condoled the demise of former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and said his passing away marks the end of an era.
His long tenure in office was a period of epochal change in the state, the President said.
Gogoi died in Guwahati on Monday while undergoing treatment for post-COVID-19 complications. He was 84.
'Extremely sad to know of the demise of Shri Tarun Gogoi, former Chief Minister of Assam. The country has lost a veteran leader with rich political and administrative experience. His long tenure in office was a period of epochal change in Assam,' Kovind tweeted.
He will always be remembered for the development of Assam and especially towards his efforts to improve law and order and fighting insurgency in the state, he said in another tweet.
'His passing away marks the end of an era. In this hour of grief, condolences to his family, friends and supporters,' the President said. -- PTI
18:41 People of Assam will always remember Gogoi: CM
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal deeply mourned the death of former CM Tarun Gogoi who breathed his last on Monday.
In a statement, he said the people of Assam will always remember Gogoi's committed service and contributions to the state.
'I am deeply saddened by the demise of former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. With his death, the state has lost an experienced, capable and efficient political leader,' he said.
'His sense of humour, amiable and outspoken nature attracted everyone. He set high ethical values in the field of politics with his simple lifestyle and contributed profusely in strengthening democratic values in the country,' Sonowal added.
Gogoi, a veteran Congress leader, died at the age of 84 at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital while undergoing treatment for post-COVID-19 complications.
He was a three-time chief minister of the state, a six-time parliamentarian and Union minister twice. -- PTI
18:33 Former Asssam CM Tarun Gogoi passes away
Former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi died in Guwahati on Monday while undergoing treatment for post-COVID-19 complications, state Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
He was 84 and survived by wife Dolly, daughter Chandrima and son Gaurav.
Gogoi, a three-time chief minister, breathed his last at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital at 5.34 pm, Sarma said.
He was first admitted to the hospital on August 26 after testing positive for COVID-19 and was released for a brief period before being admitted again on November 2.
His condition deteriorated on November 21, following multi-organ failure and was put on invasive ventilation.
Gogoi was given dialysis on Sunday. His condition deteriorated further over the past few hours and it was stated to be 'very very critical'.
Gogoi was the MLA from the Titabor assembly constituency since 2001.
He was also a six-time parliamentarian and a Union minister twice.
He was 84 and survived by wife Dolly, daughter Chandrima and son Gaurav.
Gogoi, a three-time chief minister, breathed his last at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital at 5.34 pm, Sarma said.
He was first admitted to the hospital on August 26 after testing positive for COVID-19 and was released for a brief period before being admitted again on November 2.
His condition deteriorated on November 21, following multi-organ failure and was put on invasive ventilation.
Gogoi was given dialysis on Sunday. His condition deteriorated further over the past few hours and it was stated to be 'very very critical'.
Gogoi was the MLA from the Titabor assembly constituency since 2001.
He was also a six-time parliamentarian and a Union minister twice.
17:58 Flying to Mumbai? Carry Covid negative report
JUST IN: People travelling to Mumbai from Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Goa will have to carry COVID negative test report, says the Maharashtra government.
The RT- PCR sample collection must have been done 72 hours before scheduled time of landing, says the government.
More details awaited. -- ANI/Agencies
17:28 Momentum of economic reforms will continue, FM assures industry
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday assured the industry that momentum of economic reforms will continue to make India a hotspot of global investment.
India has turned the crisis created by Covid-19 pandemic into an opportunity to push the economic reforms, which remained pending for decades, she said while addressing the National MNC's Conference 2020 organised by the industry chamber CII.
"Even at the time (of) COVID pandemic, the Prime Minister has not lost an opportunity to take deep reforms, to undertake those kinds of reforms which have not seen the light of the day over the decades. "The momentum for reform shall continue. Several more active reform-related steps are being taken up," Sitharaman said.
The financial sector is being professionalised and the government will continue with disinvestment agenda, she added. PTI
17:24 Custody extended illegally: Umar Khalid
Former JNU student leader Umar Khalid alleged before a court here on Monday that his custody in a case related to the northeast Delhi riots in February was extended illegally, mechanically and without prior intimation to his lawyers.
The submission was made before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Dinesh Kumar through video conferencing in the case related to rioting in Khajuri Khas area. Khalid was arrested in the case on October 1 and is in judicial custody.
He was earlier arrested in September in a separate case related to larger conspiracy in the riots which erupted between anti-CAA protesters and those supporting the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, killing over 50 people and scores injured. Advocate Sanya Kumar, appearing for Khalid, alleged that since the beginning of his arrest in the case, his lawyers were not given copies of the remand applications and denied information about when and before which judge he would be produced.
Time and time again the remand was mechanically granted. Case diaries were not signed, we were not supplied a copy of the remand application, she claimed. The court has put up the matter for further hearing on November 27.
17:21 Love and Jihad don't go together: TMC MP Nusrat
TMC MP Nusrat Jahan on the 'love jihad' bill proposed by the governments of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Maharashtra too said they would consider it after Nitish Kumar put the bill into a law for Bihar, but said development was more important.
Nusrat Jahan said, "Love is very personal. Love and jihad don't go hand-in-hand. Just before polls, people come up with topics like this. It is a personal choice who you want to be with. Be in love and start falling in love with each other. Don't make religion a political tool."
The TMC MP claimed last month that she had received death threats on social media after she posted a photo posing as Goddess Durga on social media. Jahan, who was shooting in London for a Bengali film, has sought protection from the Indian High Commission there and security arrangements from both the West Bengal government as well as Centre.
She has also been trolled by some Muslim fundamentalists for sporting sindoor and inaugurating a rath yatra. She had retorted by saying her faith in the "religion of humanity and secularism" does not prevent her from participating in festivals of other religions while believing in Islam.
Jahan a Muslim is a married to a Hindu.
17:19 Cabinet Secy chairs National Crisis Management Committee meet on impending cyclone
Union Cabinet Secretary, Rajiv Gauba on Monday chaired a meeting of the National Crisis Management Committee to review the status of impending Cyclone through video conferencing with the Chief Secretaries of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
The Chief Secretaries of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry briefed the NCMC about their preparedness and mentioned that the authorities are fully prepared to meet any eventuality, a release from the Cabinet Secretariat said.
They also informed about the coordination with the NDRF and other agencies to meet this challenge.DG, India Meteorological Department made a presentation on the present situation and mentioned that the status is being shared with the concerned State Governments. He mentioned that the impending Cyclone is going to affect coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry between November 24- 26.
The Cabinet Secretary mentioned that they were aiming at zero loss of life and early restoration of normalcy in the affected areas. He mentioned that the advisories to fishermen not to go into the sea should be strictly implemented. People living in 'kutcha' houses may be advised suitably according to the situation, he added.
According to the India Meteorological Department, a developing cyclonic disturbance in the Bay of Bengal is expected to become a 'severe cyclonic storm' by November 24 evening. -- ANI
17:06 AIMIM's key Bengal leader, many functionaries join TMC
AIMIM's West Bengal unit leader Anwar Pasha along with some of his colleagues joined the Trinamool Congress on Monday, claiming that the Asaduddin Owaisi-led party was only acting as a polariser of votes to help the BJP.
Alleging that a section of people is trying to take the country towards destruction using religion, Pasha said that those who are eyeing Bengal at present, whether "wearing saffron or green", should know that there is no place for such division in this state.
"AIMIM has played a hand in the polarisation of votes in Bihar and thus helped the BJP in forming the government there, but this will not happen in Bengal," he said.
Pasha, who was welcomed to the TMC fold by ministers Bratya Basu and Moloy Ghatak, said that 30 per cent of West Bengal's population are Muslims, asserting that the political developments in Bihar cannot be emulated in this state. Urging the Muslims in the state to stand by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, he said AIMIM chief Owaisi should not come to Bengal. -- PTI
Chinese President Xi Jinping with Nepal Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli
16:58 China will be responsible if anything unfortunate happens to me, says Nepal opposition leader
Nepali Congress Parliamentary leader Jeevan Bahadur Shahi on Sunday said he felt threatened after China responded aggressively to a report by his team, which showed that the communist nation had encroached on Nepal's land in Humla.
"I want to reiterate that China will be responsible if anything unfortunate happens to me," Shahi said in an interview on Khabarhub.Though Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli-government had denied the allegations, last month, Shahi, leader of opposition in Karnali Province, had said China had erected a pillar and the government officials had said they were not consulted about such issues.
"The Junge Pillar 12 has been recently erected by China. The government officials say they have not been consulted about such issues. The Pillars 5.1 and 6.1 have been enclosed as there are Chinese security forces," he said.
After Shahi's briefing to the press and submission of the report to the government, China has not only protested it as biased, the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu responded to it aggressively by writing a letter to the Nepali Congress party.
The Nepal opposition leader in his interview stated that China's response could jeopardise Nepali Congress' relationship with China as well as negatively impact the Nepal-China relationship, while terming the letter sent by the Chinese Embassy as 'undiplomatic'.
"The language used in the Embassy's letter looks like a threat and it seems to undermine my position and personality," he told Khabarhub.
He mentioned that China had constructed nine buildings in Lolungjong, Hilsa, which remained in Nepali territory, as Nepal had built a road 2 km from Lolungjong in 2009.
China had also arranged to make the Chinese time appear in Nepali territory, which was 4 km from Nepal-China border. As the area shows the Chinese time zone, Nepali choppers cannot fly to their own area. -- ANI
16:43 Disastrous! Rajan on RBI's idea of corporate banks
The RBI working group's proposal to allow corporate houses to set up banks is a "bombshell" and at this juncture, it is more important to stick to the tried and tested limits on involvement of business houses in the banking sector, according to an article jointly written by former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan and ex-Deputy Governor Viral Acharya.
They also said that the proposal is "best left on the shelf".
"The history of... connected lending is invariably disastrous how can the bank make good loans when it is owned by the borrower? Even an independent committed regulator, with all the information in the world, finds it difficult to be in every nook and corner of the financial system to stop poor lending," the article said.
Last week, an Internal Working Group (IWG) set up by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) made various recommendations, including that a large corporate may be permitted to promote banks only after necessary amendments to the Banking Regulations Act.
The IWG was set up to review extant ownership guidelines and corporate structure for Indian private sector banks. Referring to the group's proposal to allow Indian corporate houses into banking, the article said, "its most important recommendation, couched amidst a number of largely technical regulatory rationalisations, is a bombshell".
"... it proposes to allow Indian corporate houses into banking. While the proposal is tempered with many caveats, it raises an important question: Why now?," the article said. The article -- posted on Rajan's LinkedIn profile on Monday -- noted that the IWG has suggested significant amendments to the Banking Regulation Act of 1949, aimed at increasing the RBI's powers, before allowing corporates houses into banking.
"Yet if sound regulation and supervision were only a matter of legislation, India would not have an NPA problem. It is hard not to see these proposed amendments as a subtle way for the IWG to undercut a recommendation it may have had little power over. -- PTI
16:25 Sensex ends 195 points higher; Nifty tops 12,900
Equity benchmark Sensex jumped 195 points on Monday, tracking gains in index-heavyweights Reliance Industries, Infosys and TCS amid largely positive cues from global markets and sustained foreign fund inflows.
After touching a record intra-day high of 44,271.15, the 30-share BSE index ended 194.90 points or 0.44 per cent higher at 44,077.15.
Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty rose 67.40 points or 0.52 per cent to close at 12,926.45. ONGC was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, surging around 7 per cent, followed by IndusInd Bank, Infosys, Tech Mahindra, Reliance Industries, HCL Tech and TCS. On the other hand, HDFC, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, SBI and M&M were among the laggards.
Indian markets traded on a positive note following positive global cues amid COVID-19 vaccine hopes as more pharma companies announced successful initial trials for their vaccine candidates, said Narendra Solanki, Head- Equity Research (Fundamental), Anand Rathi.
"During the afternoon session the markets pared initial gains and traded marginally positive briefly and scaled back strongly led by buying in IT, pharma and auto shares while banks and financial stocks pared losses for the day," he added.
Earlier in the day, the COVID-19 vaccine candidate being developed by Oxford University showed crucial Phase 3 interim results. The ChAdOx1 nCoV-2019, being produced in collaboration with AstraZeneca, was found to be 70.4 per cent effective when combining data from two dosing regimens. -- PTI
15:25 Delighted! Adar Poonawalla on vaccine efficacy
Serum Institute of India (SII), CEO, Adar Poonawalla on Monday said that he is delighted to hear that Covidshield, soon to be widely available COVID-19 vaccine, will offer protection up to 90 per cent in one dosage regime and 62 per cent in another.
"Delighted to hear that, Covishield, soon to be widely available COVID-19 vaccine, will offer protection up to 90 per cent in one dosage regime and 62 per cent in another," said Poonawalla.
The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is being made in partnership with Serum Institute. With an efficacy of around 90 per cent, positive results from an interim analysis of clinical trials of AZD1222 in the UK and Brazil the vaccine has proved to be highly effective in preventing COVID-19 said AstraZeneca on Monday.
One dosing regimen shows the vaccine efficacy of 90 per cent when AZD1222 was given as a half dose, followed by a full dose at least a month apart. Second dosing regimen shows 62 per cent efficacy when given two full doses at least a month apart. Combined analysis has an average efficacy of 70 per cent, AstraZeneca said in a statement. -- ANI
15:03 Singapore reports 5 imported COVID-19 cases
Singapore on Monday reported five new imported cases of Covid-19, all of whom were placed on stay-home notices on arrival, the Ministry of Health said. It said that there was no locally-transmitted case for 13 consecutive days.
The ministry also said that five of the 12 imported cases, reported on Sunday, came from India. Three of the five cases were the permanent residents of Singapore, one was dependent's pass holder and the fifth was a student pass holder who arrived from India.
The rest of the seven cases were from Indonesia and the Philippines. All have been placed under stay-home notices. Singapore has so far reported 58,165 Covid-19 cases and 28 fatalities. -- PTI
15:01 AIMIM Bihar MLA takes oath on Bharat not Hindustan
A controversy erupted on the floor of the Bihar Assembly on Monday when a legislator from AIMIM insisted that the draft for the oath in Urdu should have "Bharat", as it is in the Constitution, instead of the seemingly eclectic "Hindustan".
The demand was made by Akhtarul Iman, state president of Asaduddin Owaisis AIMIM no sooner than he rose to take oath in Urdu. It left the pro-tem Speaker Jitan Ram Manjhi visibly bewildered who pointed out that as per convention those who take oath in Urdu said "Hindustan". The chair, however, permitted him to use the word Bharat.
Iman whose party champions the cause of minorities while wearing its patriotism on the sleeves, was stormed by journalists who wanted to know why he had an objection to "Hindustan" which is used by people of the country in common parlance.
The MLA replied "I had raised no objections. I had simply made a point that whenever we read the Preamble of the Constitution, in whichever language, it mentions the word Bharat. In the light of this fact I felt that since we are taking oath in the name of the Constitution, it would be proper if use the same term for the name of our country".
He asserted that he had "no problems with the word Hindustan", having grown up reciting Iqbals famous poem "Saare jahaan se achcha, Hindustan hamaara" and appreciated "personal choice" exercised by leaders like Congress MLA Shakil Ahmed Khan who prefered to take oath in Sanskrit. He also dismissed suggestions that his stand would "hurt Urdu-speaking population" who have been opposed to Sanskritisation holding it to be an assertion of Hindu majoritarianism. -- PTI
14:50 Comic Bharti Singh, husband get bail in drugs case
A Mumbai court on Monday granted bail to comedian Bharti Singh and her husband Harsh Limbhachiya, who were arrested after seizure of drugs from their house in Mumbai. The magistrates court granted bail to the couple on a bond of Rs 15,000 each.
Singh was arrested on Saturday by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), while her husband was taken into custody on Sunday morning following seizure of ganja (cannabis) from their house in suburban Andheri.
On Sunday, they were produced before the magistrate's court which remanded them in judicial custody till December 4. The couple then filed bail pleas through their advocate Ayaz Khan which were posted for hearing on Monday.
The NCB recovered 86.5 gm ganja during the search at the couple's residence and office. This is considered as 'small quantity' under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. PTI
14:40 Kerala Police Act amendment put on hold
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday announced that the state government is putting on hold the controversial Kerala Police Amendment ordinance. "With the announcement of the amendment, different views arose from different quarters. Concerns were expressed by those who supported LDF and those who stood for the protection of democracy. In this situation, it is not intended to amend the law," said Kerala Chief Minister.
"Detailed discussions in this regard will be held in the Assembly and further steps will be taken in this regard after hearing the views of all parties," he added.
Meanwhile, Congress protested in Thiruvananthapuram against state government's amendments to the Kerala State Police Act.
"This draconian ordinance will affect every individual. State Assembly will never pass it. This is against Constitution and will silence people," said LoP Ramesh Chennithala.
After widespread criticism about the new amendment made to the Kerala Police Act, Kerala Chief Minister yesterday said that it will in no way be used against free speech or impartial journalism and apprehensions to the contrary are unfounded.
The amendment has been introduced also in the context of the cyber-attacks being faced by women and transgenders. The Government will certainly consider all creative opinions and suggestions that are being aired with regard to this amendment, the Chief Minister had stated.
The law aims to stop bullying, insulting or disgracing individuals through any content and circulating the same through any communication medium. The offenders will be awarded a sentence of three years/penalty of Rs 10,000 or both. -- PTI
14:36 Bring PoK first, will go to Karachi later: Raut on Fadnavis
Slamming former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis over his remark that Pakistan's Karachi will one day become a part of India, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Monday said they should first work on bringing back Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) and then talk about Karachi.
"If Karachi comes to India, then we will welcome it. First, bring back the part of Kashmir that is occupied by Pakistan. We will go to Karachi later," Raut told reporters when asked to comment on Fadnavis' 'Akhand Bharat' remark.
Earlier on November 21, Fadnavis had said: "We believe in 'Akhand Bharat'. We also believe that Karachi will be a part of India one day."
His remark came while he was commenting on a controversy that erupted after a Shiv Sena leader allegedly asking "Karachi Sweets" shop owner in Mumbai's Bandra West to omit the word "Karachi" from the name.
A video of Shiv Sena leader Nitin Nandgaokar went viral last week, where he was seen allegedly asking Karachi Sweets shop owner in Bandra West to change the name "Karachi". "You have to do it, we are giving you time. Change 'Karachi' to something in Marathi," Nandgaokar had said in the video.
Later, Raut had said that the demand for changing names of Karachi bakery and Karachi sweets is not his party's official stance. "Karachi bakery and Karachi sweets have been in Mumbai for the last 60 years. They have nothing to do with Pakistan. It makes no sense to ask for changing their names now. Demand for changing their name is not Shivsena's official stance," Raut had tweeted on November 19.
14:10 Kangana moves HC to quash Mumbai police's FIR
Actress Kangana Ranaut and her sister Rangoli Chandel filed a petition in the Bombay High Court on Monday, seeking to quash an FIR registered against them by Mumbai Police for allegedly "trying to create hatred and communal tension" through their posts on social media.
The FIR, under sedition charges, was registered pursuant to orders passed by the Bandra magistrates court directing the police to carry out an inquiry against Ranaut and her sister following a complaint lodged against them. "Kangana and Rangoli have filed a petition in the Bombay High Court for quashing of the FIR and the magistrates order," their advocate Rizwan Siddiquee told PTI.
He said the petition has also sought the court to stay the summons issued against the duo asking them to appear before the police for questioning, and also a direction to the police to not take any coercive steps against them.
The Mumbai Police last week summoned Ranaut and her sister for the third time to record their statements on November 23 and 24 for allegedly promoting enmity between two communities. -- PTI
13:45 Covid: Delhi to recruit MBBS students, dentists to meet shortage
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday gave orders for 4th and 5th-year MBBS students and dentists to be allowed to assist in hospitals and Covid-19 Intensive Care Units to meet the manpower shortage.
This comes after a surge in the coronavirus cases was reported in the national capital.
The Union Territory has reported 40,212 active cases, 4,81,260 recoveries, and 8,391 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare's update on Monday.
Earlier on Wednesday, in view of the rising COVID-19 cases here, the Delhi government allowed COVID-19 designated hospitals to engage fourth and fifth-year MBBS students, interns, and BDS doctors to assist duty doctors in controlling the pandemic.
According to an official order, the fourth-year and fifth-year MBBS students and dental doctors will assist duty doctors at the honorarium of Rs 1,000 for an eight-hour shift and Rs 2,000 for a 12-hour shift per day.
The Delhi government, in its order, had also said that in the case of interns, the honorarium would be over and above their stipend.-- ANI
13:35 Oxford Covid vaccine 70% effective
AstraZeneca says late-stage trials of its COVID-19 vaccine were "highly effective'' in preventing disease. A vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford prevented 70% of people from developing the coronavirus in late-stage trials, the team reported Monday. Researchers found that if people were given a half dose followed by a full dose, rather than two full doses, protection rose to about 90%. These findings show that we have an effective vaccine that will save many lives. Two other drugmakers, Pfizer and Moderna, last week reported preliminary results from late-stage trials showing that their COVID-19 vaccines were almost 95% effective.
13:34 HC refuses to hear plea seeking to impose lockdown in Delhi
The Delhi High Court on Monday refused to hear a plea seeking directions for the imposition of a substantial lockdown in the national capital with immediate effect in view of the rising Covid-19 cases and air pollution.
The plea also sought directions to the Delhi Government and other respondents to conduct a comprehensive evaluation and review of the lockdown situation every 10 days and take a considered decision on restrictions and/or relaxations.
"Is the lockdown an only solution? Will the policy matter of the government be decided by the court?" a division bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan asked the petitioner.
The High Court was apprised by the counsel appearing for the Delhi government that according to Centre notification date September 30, no state has the power to impose lockdown without the central government's permission.
It also noted that the petition did not even make the Union of India a party to the petition. Later, the petitioner decided to withdraw the petition.
The plea, filed by Kaushal Kant Mishra, a senior Orthopedic surgeon, said that air pollution in Delhi has severely worsened in the past few days due to a dip in temperatures and rising air pollution. Global research shows an emerging scientific consensus on the causal link between air pollution and the morbidity as well as mortality associated with COVID-19, it added. -- PTI
13:12 SC asks Delhi, Maha, Guj for update on Covid
The Supreme Court on Monday asked Delhi, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Assam governments to file status reports on the current COVID-19 situation in the respective states and preparedness to deal with surge of cases in the coming months.
A Bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan also pulled up Gujarat and Delhi over the worsening COVID-19 situation and asked all states to file status reports detailing steps they have taken, steps intended to be taken and the help needed from the Centre to combat the situation.
"Things have worsened in the last two weeks, in November. Our question is what is your present situation? What more steps are you taking? That is what we are going to look into," the Bench asked the Delhi government.
The Bench also observed that in the month of November there was a spike of COVID-19 cases in Delhi, Maharashtra and Gujarat. It also noted Solicitor General Tushar Mehta's submission that the Union Home Minister has taken specific steps with regard to the COVID-19 situation in Delhi.
"Let counsel appearing for Delhi, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Assam file status report with regard to the current COVID-19 situation," the Bench said.
Highlighting that Gujarat's condition is worst after Delhi and Maharashtra, the Bench also pulled up the Gujarat government for allowing weddings and gatherings despite rising COVID-19 cases. "What is your policy? What is happening? What is all this?" Justice MR Shah asked the counsel appearing for state.
The bench, which was hearing a suo motu case pertaining to the management of the COVID-19 crisis and mishandling of dead bodies, posted the matter for further hearing on Friday. -- PTI
12:35 Development more important than love jihad: Sena
Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena, on other states bringing in the love jihad law. "Lot of discussions are going on regarding 'Love Jihad'. I think it's a serious matter. West Bengal elections are coming up, a new topic should be brought to the fore. We believe, development is a major issue for election but 'Love Jihad' will be discussed.
"Some people are raising this issue in Maharashtra too, asking us that when will we bring a law? I spoke with the CM today, I would like to say that when Nitishji frames this law in Bihar, we will examine it and then think about the same, for Maharashtra."
12:17 Measles vaccine may protect against Covid
The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine may provide protection against COVID-19, according to a study that could also explain why children have a much lower case rate and death rate of the disease than adults.
The MMR vaccine has been theorised to provide protection against COVID-19, and now the study, published in the journal mBio, provides further proof of this by showing that mumps IgG titers, or levels of IgG antibody, are inversely correlated with severity in recovered COVID-19 patients previously vaccinated with the MMR II vaccine. MMR II contains the Edmonston strain of measles, the Jeryl Lynn (B-level) strain of mumps, and the Wistar RA 27/3 strain of rubella, the researchers said.
"We found a statistically significant inverse correlation between mumps titer levels and COVID-19 severity in people under age 42 who have had MMR II vaccinations," said lead study author Jeffrey E. Gold, president of World Organization in Georgia, US.
"This adds to other associations demonstrating that the MMR vaccine may be protective against COVID-19. It also may explain why children have a much lower COVID-19 case rate than adults, as well as a much lower death rate," said Gold, adding that the majority of children get their first MMR vaccination around 12 to 15 months of age and a second one from 4 to 6 years of age.
The researchers divided 80 subjects into 2 groups. The MMR II group consisted of 50 U.S. born subjects who would primarily have MMR antibodies from the MMR II vaccine. A comparison group of 30 subjects had no record of MMR II vaccinations, and would primarily have MMR antibodies from other sources, including prior measles, mumps, and/or rubella illnesses.
The researchers found a significant inverse correlation between mumps titers and COVID-19 severity within the MMR II group. There were no significant correlations between mumps titers and disease severity in the comparison group, between mumps titers and age in the MMR II group, or between severity and measles or rubella titers in either group, they said. Within the MMR II group, mumps titers of 134 to 300 AU/ml were only found in those who were functionally immune or asymptomatic, according to the researchers.
All with mild COVID-19 symptoms had mumps titers below 134 AU/ml. All with moderate symptoms had mumps titers below 75 AU/ml. All who had been hospitalised and required oxygen had mumps titers below 32 AU/ml.
"This is the first immunological study to evaluate the relationship between the MMR II vaccine and COVID-19. The statistically significant inverse correlation between mumps titers and COVID-19 indicates that there is a relationship involved that warrants further investigation," said study co-author David J. Hurley professor and molecular microbiologist at the University of Georgia.
"The MMR II vaccine is considered a safe vaccine with very few side effects. If it has the ultimate benefit of preventing infection from COVID-19, preventing the spread of COVID-19, reducing the severity of it, or a combination of any or all of those, it is a very high reward low risk ratio intervention, Hurley said.
"Maximum seropositivity is achieved through two vaccinations at least 28 days apart. Based upon our study, it would be prudent to vaccinate those over 40 regardless of whether or not they already have high serum MMR titers," he added. -- PTI
11:57 6 NDRF teams deployed in parts of Tamil Nadu ahead of cyclonic storm warning
In the wake of a cyclonic storm warning over Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coast in the next 24 hours, six teams of the National Disaster Response Force have been deployed in Cuddalore and Chidambaram towns here for pe-positioning on Monday.
"The depression over southwest and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal about 600 km south-southeast of Puducherry and 630 km south-southeast of Chennai. It is very likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours," the IMD said.
Due to well-marked low pressure over the southwest Bay of Bengal, a cyclonic storm is expected on the Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coast in the next 24 hours, the IMD had informed earlier today.
"The well-marked low pressure over southwest Bay of Bengal is very likely to intensify further into a cyclonic storm during next 24 hours and move towards Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coast. It's likely to cross between Karaikal and Mamallapuram by November 25 afternoon," said S Balachandran, IMD Chennai.
On Sunday, the IMD had said the "very severe" cyclonic storm "GATI" over the southwest Arabian Sea has moved westwards. -- ANI
11:32 NCB to file replies on bail pleas of comedian Bharti Singh today
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Monday will file its replies on bail pleas of comedian Bharti Singh and her husband Haarsh Limbachiyaa who have been arrested in connection with the alleged consumption of cannabis.
"The NCB will file its replies on comedian Bharti Singh and her husband Haarsh Limbachiyaa's bail pleas today. As I am busy with other cases today, we will request for some other date of argument," Special public prosecutor Atul Sarpande said.
The couple was sent to judicial custody till December 4 by Mumbai's Esplanade Court on Sunday.
"Charges of consumption of drugs have been invoked against them," said Sameer Wankhede, Zonal Director of the NCB, Mumbai.
NCB on Saturday raided the production office and house of comedian Bharti Singh and recovered 86.5 grams of ganja (cannabis) from both places.
The NCB had earlier raided a place in Khar Danda area and nabbed a trafficker aged 21 years with various drugs including 15 blots of LSD (commercial quantity), ganja (40 grams), and Nitrazepam (psychotropic medicines). In follow up and in corroboration with previous inputs, the NCB raided the production office and house of comedian Bharti Singh. -- ANI
11:27 Centre's PR will not save India from China: Rahul
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday hit out at the Centre over the "renewed China threat in Doklam" report, claiming the Chinese authorities have set up a village inside Bhutanese territory.
In a tweet, Gandhi said: "China's geopolitical strategy cannot be countered by a PR (Public Relations) driven media strategy. This simple fact seems to elude the minds of those running GOI (Government of India)."Wayanad MP's response comes days after Bhutan rejected the report claiming the setting up of a Chinese village inside Bhutan. "There is no Chinese village inside Bhutan," Major General Vetsop Namgyel, Bhutanese Ambassador to India, had told ANI.
Earlier, Shen Shiwei, CGTN News producer, had tweeted, "Now, we have permanent residents living in the newly established Pangda village. It's along the valley where 35 km south to Yadong county." Later the tweet was removed.The Pangda village lies 2 kilometres within Bhutanese territory.In 2017, India and China were engaged in a 73-day standoff in Doklam after Chinese troops were building a road from their territory to the Jhamphiri ridgeline.Currently, the Chinese and Indian troops are engaged in a stand-off since early May along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
The situation along the LAC deteriorated in June following the Galwan Valley clash in which both sides suffered casualties.Twenty Indian soldiers lost their lives in the violent face-off on June 15-16. It happened as a result of an attempt by the Chinese troops to unilaterally change the status quo during the de-escalation in eastern Ladakh. -- PTI
11:07 Woman stuck in collapsed public toilet dies
The woman who was rescued from the public toilet in Kurla area of Mumbai after a portion of it collapsed, passed away. The woman's leg got trapped in debris when a wall of a public toilet collapsed on Monday morning, a civic official said. The incident took place around 7.40 am behind Naaz Hotel in Kurla-West following which fire brigade, police and civic personnel rushed to the spot, he said. She was hospitalised but did not survive the injuries.
10:59 Rupee opens on flat note against US dollar
The rupee opened on a flat note and was trading in a narrow range against the US dollar in opening session on Monday as rising COVID-19 cases offset positive sentiments surrounding the progress on the vaccine front. At the interbank forex market, the domestic unit opened at 74.12 against the US dollar.
In early trade, the local unit also touched 74.17 against the American currency. On Friday, the local unit had settled at 74.16 against the greenback.
"The overall sentiment prevailing globally can be best described as one of cautious optimism. With a couple of vaccines having been proven effective in trials, the question now is how much the situation gets worse before it becomes better and how much more damage is inflicted upon the economy until then," said Abhishek Goenka, Founder and CEO, IFA Global.
10:41 Delhi was 6.3C last night, coldest in 17 years
A cold wave gripped Delhi on Monday as the minimum temperature dropped to 6.3 degrees Celsius, five notches below normal and the lowest in the month of November since 2003, according to the India Meteorological Department.
On Sunday, the national capital had recorded a minimum of 6.9 degrees Celsius and a maximum of 24.2 degrees Celsius, the lowest day time temperature so far this month.
"The Safdarjung Observatory which provides representative data for the city, recorded a minimum of 6.3 degrees Celsius, which is Delhi's lowest minimum temperature in the month since November 2003, when the city recorded a minimum of 6.1 degrees Celsius," Kuldeep Srivastava, the head of the IMD's regional forecasting centre, said. The mercury dropped to 6.4 degrees Celsius at the Lodhi Road weather station, he said. For the plains, the IMD declares a cold wave when the minimum temperature is 10 degrees Celsius or below and is 4.5 notches less than normal for two consecutive days.
"However, for small areas such as Delhi, a cold wave can be declared if the criteria is fulfilled even for a day," Srivastava said. Delhi had recorded the lowest minimum temperature of 11.5 degrees Celsius last year, 10.5 degrees Celsius in 2018 and 7.6 degrees Celsius in 2017 in the month of November. The all-time record for the lowest minimum temperature in November is 3.9 degrees Celsius recorded on November 28, 1938.
Srivastava said icy cold winds blowing from snow-laden western Himalayas have led to a dip in the mercury. -- PTI
10:30 Public toilet collapses in Kurla, woman rescued
A woman was rescued after she got trapped inside the toilet that collapsed in the Kurla area of Mumbai on Monday, local authorities said. The incident was reported in the early hours of Monday and the fire brigade team was pressed into service to start the rescue operation. Soon after being rescued, the woman was administered first aid and then sent to a hospital.
10:27 She rows 18km every day to care for children
Relu Vasave, an anganwadi worker from Nandurbar rows 18 km daily to attend to children under 6 years of age and expecting mothers in interior villages. She says, "Rowing daily is tough but it's important that babies and expecting mothers eat nutritious food and be healthy."
The anganwadi programme was begun by the Indira Gandhi government in 1975.
10:08 India's Covid cases cross 91 lakh
The daily Covid tally is here. With 44,059 new COVID-19 infections, India's total cases rise to 91,39,866. With 511 new deaths, toll mounts to 1,33,738. Total active cases at 4,43,486 Total discharged cases at 85,62,642 with 41,024 new discharges in last 24 hours.
09:46 U'khand governor tests positive for COVID-19
Uttarakhand Governor Baby Rani Maurya has tested positive for COVID-19. Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari had called on Maurya at the Raj Bhawan on Saturday.
In a tweet on Sunday evening, Maurya said, "My corona report has come out positive. I am asymptomatic and have no problems. I have isolated myself under the supervision of doctors. I request everyone who came in contact with me over the last few days to get themselves tested."
A press release from the Raj Bhawan said the Uttarakhand governor had returned from Agra on Friday after a week-long vacation. As Saturday and Sunday were holidays and the governor's residential quarters and the Raj bhawan secretariat are quite distant from each other, she did not come in contact with any official or employee, it said. -- PTI
09:36 Covid vaccine hopes keeps Sensex high
Equity benchmark indices opened in the green on Monday with Sensex up by 371.84 points and Nifty up by 86.15 points. The domestic stock markets opened in the green, after closing at around record highs in the previous week, one of the reasons likely being, as hopes of a coronavirus vaccine continue to buoy investor sentiment globally.
At 9:16 am, the 30-scrip BSE Sensex was up by 371.84 points or 0.85 per cent at 44,164.17.Similarly, 50-scrip NSE Nifty was trading at 12,945.20, at 9:16 am, up by 86.15 points or 0.67 per cent.
09:30 Maha man booked for giving triple talaq over phone
A woman in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district has lodged a case against her 32-year-old husband for allegedly giving her triple talaq over phone, a police official said on Monday. The woman, aged 31, had earlier gone to Dubai for a job and recently to Ahmednagar. Her husband, who lives in Mumbai, called her on November 20 and told her that he does not want to have any relation with her and also does not want to stay with her, the official said. "He allegedly gave her 'talaq' over phone," the official said.
The woman lodged a police complaint, based on which a case was registered on Saturday against the man at Bhingar Camp police station in Ahmednagar under sections of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019, which bans the practice of instant triple talaq. The woman had done some beauty parlour-related courses and used to work in Mumbai. She later moved to Dubai, but recently returned to Ahmednagar, where she owns a flat, the police said. -- PTI
08:50 India, Pak, B'desh should be merged: Maha Min to BJP
Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik on Sunday said that his party Nationalist Congress Party will welcome the move if the Bharatiya Janata Party creates one country by merging India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
"The way Devendra ji has said that time will come Karachi will be the part of India. We have been saying that India, Pakistan and Bangladesh should be merged. If the Berlin wall can be demolished then why not India, Pakistan and Bangladesh can come together? If the BJP wishes to merge these three countries and make a single country, we will welcome it definitely," Malik told ANI, when asked comment on the former chief minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis's remark on Karachi.
Malik said that the NCP wants to contest the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections along with the Shiv Sena and the Congress which are part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra.
"It is still 15 months left for the BMC election. Every party has the right to work for their party, and every party is doing so. We are also strengthening our party. We would want that those who are running the government all three parties should contest polls together," he said.
The minister also ruled out any possibility of lockdown in Maharashtra saying that there is no need for it.
"Our Aarogya secretariat has sent an advisory to every district that we have to be prepared in the view of the second wave of COVID-19. We have been successful in containing coronavirus. Cases in some states are increasing and they have imposed restrictions. This is not the condition in Maharashtra. There is no such type of situation in Maharashtra that we need to impose lockdown," he said. -- ANI
08:36 India to host G20 Summit in 2023
G20 leaders announced on Sunday that India will host the summit of the high-profile grouping in 2023 -- a year later than what was decided earlier.
India was earlier slated to host the summit in 2022 with the Osaka declaration of the G20 stating last year that "we look forward to meeting again in Saudi Arabia in 2020, in Italy in 2021 and in India in 2022".
"We thank Saudi Arabia for hosting a successful Riyadh Summit and its contribution to the G20 process. We look forward to our next meetings in Italy in 2021, Indonesia in 2022, India in 2023 and Brazil in 2024," the G20 Riyadh Summit Leaders Declaration said.
On India now hosting the summit in 2023, a source said, "The order of the rotating presidency is decided among member states on the basis of consultations and mutual convenience."
India looks forward to taking forward the G20 agenda in 2023 after the Italian and Indonesian presidencies, the source said.
In a statement on the summit, the Ministry of External Affairs said it was decided that the G20 presidency will be held by Indonesia in 2022, India in 2023 and Brazil in 2024. -- PTI
08:16 Congress's Tarun Gogoi very critical
The health condition of former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi remained "very critical" on Sunday although he responded to a longer duration of dialysis, state health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
The Congress veteran's health condition deteriorated on Saturday afternoon, following multi-organ failure and he became unconscious with difficulty in breathing.
Sarma said the doctors had initially planned for four hours of dialysis, but they could continue for six hours.
"Because of this six-hour dialysis, a lot of toxi elements could be taken out from his body. We can say this is a positive sign," he told reporters at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital where Gogoi is admitted.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi inquired about his health, his son Gaurav Gogoi said.
Visiting the hospital at night and holding a meeting with senior doctors, Sarma said they will observe the veteran politician on Monday for any positive impact of the dialysis.
"Luckily, we received a new machine on Saturday that can conduct dialysis if a patient is on ventilation. His dialysis was done through that new machine. Two units of blood were also given to him," he added.
When asked if the condition has improved following his eye movement in the morning, the minister said the negligible body movements were seen because the effect of the sedatives was low at that time.
"His condition is very critical and serious. Doctors will try for dialysis on Monday as well for emitting the toxic materials," said Sarma, the former cabinet colleague of Gogoi.
The 84-year-old Congress leader was admitted to GMCH on November 2 with post-COVID complications and was on non- invasive ventilation.
He was put on invasive ventilation on Saturday night as his condition deteriorated.
Speaking to the press, Gaurav said, "Prime Minister Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi called me and inquired about his health conditions."
He said many people have visited him and he received calls from various chief ministers and leaders from across the country, inquiring about his father's health.
"Common people are praying everywhere and I think that is giving him strength... We have to fight this battle every day," said an emotional Gaurav.
He said the GMCH authority has permitted a sound system inside the ICU for playing peoples' prayers and listening to good old memories as "that is also a therapy".
"My father is in the hospital for almost three months now. The doctors have said that many young people don't have that much courage like what he has shown," Gaurav added.
Gaurav has been at the hospital since Saturday night, while the three-time Congress chief minister's daughter and daughter-in-law visited the hospital on Sunday.
In the morning, GMCH superintendent Abhijit Sarma said that as Gogoi is on inotropic support, the doctors had kept dialysis as the last resort to normalise urine output.
Doctors repeated all clinical tests and his vital health parameters showed marginal improvement compared to that of Saturday, the official said. -- PTI
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